The Transport Department (TD) announced today (July 23) that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been updated in accordance with section 20(3)(b) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA) to further expand the AV trial in North Lantau, including commencing a driverless trial on Airport Island.

     In February, the TD approved AVs on Airport Island trial routes to be monitored by operators in the remote control centre, in addition to the in-vehicle backup operators. The trials of remote operation to date have met the requirements regarding safety, stability, accuracy and smoothness. Upon examining the test reports and conducting multiple site inspections, the TD is satisfied with the safety performance of AVs, with no abnormalities detected so far. While ensuring road safety, the TD has approved the driverless tests to commence on Airport Island with no in-vehicle backup operators. In addition, for the Tung Chung and Sunny Bay trial, remote backup operators will be introduced on top of in-vehicle backup operators to test remote operations.

     The Commissioner for Transport, Miss Winnie Tse, said, "The launch of fully remote testing for Hong Kong's first AV pilot licence trial has achieved the driverless operations. This marks an important step toward realising the goals of driverless, scaled-up and commercialised AV operations as set out in the Policy Address and the Transport Strategy Blueprint, as well as achieving a milestone in accelerating the introduction of autonomous driving locally. I will continue to lead the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group, working with its members from the industry and different departments, to monitor the progress of various trials and provide the necessary support and co-ordination, promoting the safe development of AVs in a proactive and orderly manner."

     The updated details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD's website on AV trials. The TD's pilot AV labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. To facilitate easier identification of AVs undergoing driverless trials by drivers and pedestrians, additional labels (see attachment) will be put up on the vehicle body to indicate that a fully driverless test of an AV is in progress.

     The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence for AVs. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the operational design domain and functions of the autonomous driving system, relevant national or international standards/guidelines, and the road testing conditions, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles, before approval.

Ends/Thursday, July 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:16

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